Nearly 250 parks and green spaces in Wales have received the prestigious Green Flag Award and Green Flag Community Award, including 10 in Denbighshire.

They feature a diverse range of sites, from country parks and formal gardens, to allotments, woodlands and churchyards.

Now in its third decade, the international Green Flag Award is a sign to the public that a park or green space boasts the highest possible environmental standards, is beautifully maintained and has excellent visitor facilities.

First-time winners include Gronant Sand Dunes in Denbighshire.

Cllr Tony Thomas, Denbighshire Council’s lead member for housing and communities, said: "The council’s countryside service is delighted the Gronant Dunes Site of Special Scientific Interest has been awarded Keep Wales Tidy’s prestigious Green Flag Award.

"This area is outstanding in terms of landscape, character and its biodiversity value and is home to the last remaining Little Tern colony in Wales.

"A lot of effort has been put into upgrading the infrastructure at the site and which allows both visitors and residents to appreciate the natural beauty whilst keeping disturbance to a minimum and I’d like to thank all the staff and volunteers who have worked so hard to make this possible.”

Wales still holds more than a third of the UK’s Green Flag community sites, which are maintained and run by volunteers. A variety of green spaces have achieved the Green Flag Community Award for the first time including Church Island on Anglesey and the Laundry room at Tredegar house, Newport.

The Green Flag Award programme is delivered in Wales by environmental charity Keep Wales Tidy, with support from Welsh Government.

Lucy Prisk, Green Flag Coordinator at Keep Wales Tidy said: "The pandemic showed us just how important high-quality parks and green spaces are to our communities. With more visitors than ever enjoying our green spaces, I’d like to congratulate the hard work of staff and volunteers who have maintained excellent standards at these sites.”

Prestatyn's Gronant Sand Dunes received the Full Award whilst the following sites in Denbighshire have been awarded Green Flag Community Awards for 21/22:

  • Bodfari Community Park
  • Ffrith Common Land Park, Prestatyn
  • Llanferres Playing Field
  • Maes Ysgawen
  • Maeshafn Playing Field and Orchard - NEW
  • Marine Lake, Rhyl
  • Prestatyn Community Woodland/Coed y Morfa
  • St. Tecla's Churchyard - NEW
  • Woodland Skills Centre